About Us

From a forthcoming interview:

1.  When was the band formed?
We formed in the summer of 2008.  I bumped into an old mate at the village gala, Jude Hackett, who was playing bass with a rock covers band.  He was unhappy with that and wanted to move on so when he found out that I played mandola he was keen to get something together.  I’d not played with a band since I left the punk/ alternative band Digweed in 2000.  Kay, my wife and fellow band member, bought me a mandolin to go with my mandola and we started writing from there.  Sarah and Scud are friends of ours so the band formed over an Indian meal and a few drinks in our living room in the late summer.
2.  Influences?
I think we’re all influenced by different stuff.  I listen to all sorts of stuff from traditional folk, then early punk through to the Mediaval Baebes and Dead Can Dance, and we’re not like any of them.  We set out to be different and create something new and exciting within the folk scene.  This has distanced us from some traditional folkies who see folk music as a fixed and permanent thing.  There are a lot of newer folkies though and traditionalists with an open mind who are listening to new ways of expressing old ideas- just look at Mumford and Sons to see how big the audience is for well crafted original songs.  Many of my influences come from my love of folk history rather than music and because of my punk rock roots I have a DIY attitude to music- the only thing stopping us doing what we want to do is ourselves and I try not to stand in my own way.  Life is a big old adventure!  I never thought I’d be releasing my first single at the age of 45!
3. Where we’re going?
There’s no plan to any of this.  Once I started writing the music and lyrics I found that I couldn’t- and wouldn’t- stop.  We’re trying hard to break into the festival circuit but that’s pretty hard when you’re new to the scene.  Like I said, this is an adventure and we’re seeing it through to the end- wherever that takes us.
4. Who’s in the band?
Mark Knight- mandola, mandolin & vocals.  I’m a South Derbyshire lad born & bred in Overseal.
Sarah Devine – vocals.  Sarah hails from South Wales and moved up to the Swadlincote area about 15 years ago.
Kay Knight – percussion & vocals.  A local lass, born in Hartshorne.
Scud Stevens – percussion.  Scud grew up in Ashby and lived in the White Hart for many years.
Louby-Lou – bass & vocals.  Lou is another South Derbyshire lass- originally from Church Gresley and until recently living on a boat in the Marina.  She replaced Jude who left the band in April to concentrate on his promotions company.  I think he’ll be taking over as manager of the band in the next few weeks.
Rhys Jones – harmonica.  Rhys was born in Gornall Wood in the West Midlands but moved to Ripley in Derbyshire as a child.  Rhys is the newest band member having joined in September.

There are others on the periphery who either play with us from time to time or produce our music or videos- Jon Harper is a great music producer and arranger, Adam Stevenson an enthusiastic genius of a film maker and the brilliant Joy Gravestock plays violin with us when she’s not with the Derby Orchestra.